Heart Makes The Family
by Princess-of-the-Pen
Summary: 13 years ago Talia al Ghul brought Bruce Wayne's son into the world and 10 years passed before Bruce knew of it. Dick never thought Kory would do the same to him. (Rated T to be safe) (Mar'i Grayson is a main character but she's not in the character drop down :/) (Completely PLATONIC Damian Mar'i interaction!)
1. The Perfect Day

_Today is going to be perfect! _

Dick had already made the declaration 100 times, and was going to make it 100 more times. He'd yelled it before the sun rose and was going to keep yelling it until the sun set and the declaration became a fact: today was perfect! Because today was Damian's birthday and his boy deserved it. He deserved a day without pain, a day without disappointment, a day where he could be happy and be himself and not be judged for it. Damian deserved a perfect day.

"Okay, let's go down the checklist!" Dick announced as he rubbed his hands together and paced the length of his room. His stomach was tight with nerves: after less-than-stellar 11th and 12th birthdays, this was his last chance to prove to Damian that birthdays were something worth celebrating.

"Again?" Wally groaned from his perch on Dick's computer chair. The speedster was slouched, arms dangling like limp noodles as he lazily rolled him back and forth. "We've gone through it a million times already."

"I recall you going through your own checklist a million and one times when it was Irey and Jai's birthday," Dick snapped, pausing in his pacing and crossing his arms. Dick could already feel a wall of defense come up: Damian and Wally had never gotten along and Dick often found himself stuck between them, defending one's actions to the other. It was upsetting the amount of times Dick had to verbally attack his friend - a grown man - in defense of his kid brother but he didn't know how to make them get along. There relationship was nearly as bad as Damian and Tim's.

"That's different," Wally said, folding his own arms. Dick quirked an eyebrow.

"How?"

"Well for one, Jai and Irey are my children-"

"And Damian's my little brother, what's your point?"

Wally clenched his jaw. "It's just different."

Dick sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose and hopes of stopping the oncoming headache. Today was going to be a happy day and no dumb rivalries was going to get in the way.

"Wally, I know you have your problems with Damian. I don't understand them but I know they're there. But can you please put them aside and help me? This is really important." Wally huffed but Dick could practically see his walls lowering. Dick smiled a bit. "And hey! Irey is attending the party, right? Don't you want it to be perfect for her? Make sure your kid has a good time?" Wally rolled his eyes but sat up straighter, eyes a bit brighter at the mention of his little girl.

"Okay, okay, you broke me," Wally joked, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. His hands dropped, slapping against his thighs as he held Dick's gaze. "But I still think you're doing too much. As long as Daddy Bats is there the demon will be happy."

"I know, and trust me when I say Bruce _is _going to be there, even if I have to put him on a leash and drag him out of the cave." Wally chuckled at the image. "But Damian deserves more. And more he shall have!" Dick grinned and wave his hands with the bravado of a famous magician. "So Wally, the checklist if you please!"

Wally flew through the checklist, barely giving Dick enough time to confirm each item before moving on. And yet, Dick couldn't find it in him to be annoyed or upset. His stomach was too tight for that, his heart tripping over itself as dawn's colors painted the sky. It was early. It would be a while before the Manor awoke and even longer until Damian awoke: Alfred's special tea had assured that.

"...and that's it."

Dick started, snapping his attention to his red headed friend. "That's it?"

"Yup," Wally murmured, popping the p. Green eyes scanned the paper one last time before quick hands crumpled it. With a flick of his wrist, the paper went flying and landed in the small waste bucket across the room. Wally pumped his fist into the air and whooped.

"Wally!"

"No more list, no more list!"

Dick pursed his lips at the chant, remembering similar words coming from his own mouth when he was helping with the twins' birthday. To be fair, Wally didn't have 2 failed birthdays to make up for and all future birthdays riding on the line.

"Okay, okay, I get it: no more list."

"Yes!"

Dick playfully rolled his eyes and flopped onto his bed. His stomach was still tight but there was truly nothing else he could do. Alfred would start making Damian's favorite breakfast meal soon, they'll eat and play some games as they waited for Damian's friends. Then they'll be off to the zoo as a surprise party was set up at home. They'll come back, surprise Damian, he'll be happy and the day will be perfect.

Dick sighed heavily.

That was the plan and _nothing _was going to distract him from it. Today was going to be perfect.

* * *

This world was too bright, the sounds too loud, the atmosphere too happy. It was unbelievable, almost overstimulating, to her. The people smiled and laughed freely, looking as if they'd never experienced a day of strife in their lives. It was a world of security, a place of hope. And this place - this beautiful, beautiful place called Metropolis - was making her sick.

Every smile made her stomach turn, every friendly greeting made her heart hurt, and every concerned look had her temper rising. She was a warrior: she could take care of herself. She didn't need the pity of people who didn't know half of what she did.

_It wasn't fair _.

Her world was war torn. Everything was dark and dreary, and there was either grim silence or the sounds of death. It hadn't always been that way; once it was like Metropolis, with happy people and a happy queen. But that was over 6 years ago and things had gotten too "dangerous" and her mother was forcing her to seek refuge here.

Here: where her mother once lived.

Here: where her mother once loved.

Here: where her father was.

Her body tingled at the thought. Her father: the man who still held her mother's heart, the star of all her stories. _Her father. _He was here on this bright planet somewhere. Names filled her head, all the people and places her mother told her to look for.

_Metropolis - Superman, Jump City - Titans, Gotham - Batman, Watchtower - Justice League, Blüdhaven - Nightwing. _

_Blüdhaven. _

_Nightwing. _

Blüdhaven was where she had to be, but she had no idea how to get there. She would find out though. Even if she had to break cover and take to the skies, she would get to her father. Forget Superman, forget this bright city: she'll find him on her own and then she'll be okay.

She was going to meet Nightwing, Richard Grayson, _her father _today and nothing would stop her. Today was going to be perfect.


	2. The Calm Before

**I was actually suppose to post this a week ago (posting schedule: every 2 weeks) but my laptop charger sparked and blew out and even when I remembered to upstate at school, I only remembered to update to Archive of Our Own... sorry. Anyway, I wrote chapter 1-4 a year ago and apparently my brain thought it was a good idea to not make Dick and Mar'i meat until chapter 5? So to hopefully make it faster, I'm going to post chapter 2 & 3 today (since I can't figure out how to combine them)! Chapters 4 & 5 will also probably go up together :3**

**Dick's day is going as planned. Mar'i's not so much.**

**~O~**

"The way you flirt is shameful," Wally snickered as he inhaled another french fry. On the other side of the restaurant Irey did the same, arms a blur as she stole food off of the others' plates.

"I wasn't flirting," Dick retorted as he watched the commotion. He was used to speedsters taking from his plate but it was obvious Damian was not. For a moment it seemed like a fight would break out but then Damian was _smiling _, showing off his own quick reflexes as he blocked the red-headed girl. The noise Dick made next was something between a chuckle and a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, Short Pants: you kind of were," Roy said, nibbling on a pickle. "Or at least you mind as well been." Dick tore his eyes from the kids and shot a playful glare at is own friends. His shoulders relaxed: things have been going smoothly so far, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong.

Was this the "bat-paranoia" is friends so often referred to?

"You guys really shouldn't be talking. Especially you, Wally." Wally gasped louder than necessary, hand on his chest in mock surprise.

"Why I am offended, good sir! I am very loyal to my beautiful wife!" he exclaimed in a posh voice.

"Oh yes, the lovely Linda Park. However could we forget how whipped she's got you," Roy replied, a mischievous smirk on his face. Wally scoffed.

"Dude, she's my wife and the mother of my children: of course I'm whipped!"

Dick plopped his head into his hands as he watched his friends jab at each other. This was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Hanging out with his friends as they made fun of each other's love lives and gorged themselves on hamburgers and french fries? This was what normal 26 year olds did. Dick soaked in the scene with eager eyes. Moments like these were rare. He wasn't a normal 26 year old; he was a hero with a fucked up life, and this time tomorrow him and his friends could be all dead. Wally was a 27 year old with twins that were 13 years old and 11 years old due to Speedforce bullshit while Roy had fathered a baby at a young age with a dangerous assassin. For all Dick knew, this could be their last normal moment for the next few years.

"Yo, Earth to Dick!" Roy waved his hand in front of Dick's face. Dick snapped back to attention. "How many times are you going to zone out on us?"

"Sorry, just thinking." Dick rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He'd been "just thinking" all day.

"Don't tell me you're _still _worrying about making the demon's birthday perfect. In case you haven't notice, the day has been a total success."

"Actually, I wasn't worrying about that, Wally. But now that you mention it, it _is _only lunch. So many things can go wrong…" Dick trailed off, placing a finger on his chin as if he was actually thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Wally huffed, but Roy was still smiling. Dick could see it in his eyes: the eldest man was also committing this moment to memory.

"Whatever. Just know that if you spend all your time worrying about what will go wrong, you won't notice everything going right."

Wally took a gigantic bite out of his third burger, barely chewing and swallowing before taking a swig of soda. A silent moment passed before he noticed the other two staring at him. "What?" he mumbled around a mouthful of cheese and meat.

"Well, look at that!" Roy exclaimed. "I never thought we'd see the day Twinkle-Toes gives good advice!"

Dick nearly choked as Wally began the sputter indignantly. Yeah: this was definitely a moment to remember.

* * *

He wasn't here. She had traveled all this way and _he wasn't here _. Not at the address her mom had provided her, not at the police academy where her mom said he was studying or the police station she said he might be working in, not anywhere!

Dick Grayson wasn't in Blüdhaven.

She sat under a tree in a bustling park, green sparks dancing on her fingers. She always tried to look on the bright side of things but there was nothing bright about this. She was worlds away from her home - a home that may be destroyed by now - and couldn't find the one person she needed. She was angry and desperate and _alone _.

For the first time in her life she was truly alone.

With a roar she slammed her fist into the trunk of the tree, enjoying the way the bark splintered under her fist. Her chest heaved, her cheeks flushed. It was somewhat of a miracle that no one looked her way, but that seemed to be the way it went here. Unlike Metropolis, there was no friendly smiles or pitying looks. Everyone looked forward and minded their business. The city was dirty and grimy and she didn't know why her father would want to live in such a desolate place.

Blüdhaven was a lot like home.

Tears stung her eyes as the thought passed through her head. All her life she wanted to meet the man whose blood ran through her veins, but now she just wanted to be home by her mom's side. She wanted to help, to fight and win the war as her mom's right-hand girl. But she was too young, her mom said, and instead she was forced to flee to a planet where she had no place.

Maybe she should've looked for Superman. Perhaps then she would already be in her father's arms, safe and wanted and knowing where to go next.

"_ Get ahold of yourself _," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. She _did _know where to go next. Her mom had been very clear about it: her father would be in Blüdhaven or in Gotham with the Bat. And since he wasn't here, he must be there.

With a renewed sense of determination she pushed herself to her feet. She knew she shouldn't fly but she had to: the sun had reached its peak already and she was still far from her father. Plus, it was not like anyone here would care, right? The humans of Blüdhaven knew how to keep to themselves.

Taking a deep breath she took to the skies. The sky was gray and blanketed by heavy clouds. She had examined a map earlier and knew Gotham wasn't too far away. She would get there quickly and meet the man who would help her, who might even help her mom. Everything would be okay.

"Here I come, Dad."


	3. Heading to The Right Place

**A potential birthday-ruining problem puts Dick on high alert. Mar'i arrives in Gotham and meets someone who might be able to help her.**

**~O~**

"There's been sightings of a U.F.O circling Gotham," Wally murmured as he scrolled through his phone. They were on their way home, the 9 of them shoved into the rarely used limo. The kids - excluding Damian - had been psyched about riding in it and were now bouncing around in the back seat. You'd think they'd be tired after a day walking around the zoo, but so far Roy was the only one knocked out.

"A U.F.O?"

"Unidentified flying object."

Dick risked taking his eyes off the road to shoot Wally a deadpan look. "I know what a U.F.O. is, Wally. I just wasn't exactly prepared for an alien invasion today of all days!" His fists clenched the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip.

"Alien invasion?"

Dick's muscles tensed involuntarily. He'd forgotten about Jon's super hearing. All six kids - Lian Harper, Irey West, Collin Wilks, Jon Kent, Maya Ducard, and Damian - were staring at them through the little window separating the passengers from the drivers.

"We're talking about an old JLA mission, don't mind us." If he was a stricter adult he would've chided Jon on eavesdropping, but he wasn't. He knew Jon still struggled controlling what he heard. Perhaps later Dick would examine how easy it was for him to lie to a bunch of children, but that would be for another day.

With a flick of a switch the tinted window rolled up, blocking the kids' view of them. Yeah, it wouldn't do much against Jon's x-ray vision or super hearing but Dick trusted the kid to give them their privacy. As soon as the window was up Dick slumped in his seat and glared at the road ahead of him.

"And you said this day couldn't go wrong."

"Hey, we don't know if it's hostile aliens. They could be friendly! Plus, it doesn't really look like an entire aircraft. Looks like a single purple streak." Wally squinted at his phone as he spoke, zooming in on whatever he was looking at. "Maybe it's a new meta?"

"Great, metas in Gotham. Bruce just _loves _that…"

Dick pushed harder on the gas pedal, slowly increasing the speed and thanking every deity for the empty streets. He'll drop the kids off at the party, check into the Batcave, and find out about this "streak" circling his second city.

"Uh-oh, you're going into Nightwing mode…" Wally shifted in his seat until he was facing his friend, the corners of his lips pulled down.

"It's nothing. I'm just going to make sure this thing is harmless and keep it _far _from Damian's party. Everything will be okay. Damian might even enjoy hunting it tonight during patrol."

"Dick, trust me," Wally started, an eyebrow raised. "If you miss Damian's birthday because of the night job, you'll never forgive yourself."

Dick sighed, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. "I'll be quick about it, I promise. Besides, if I don't, Bruce will and he _can't _have his attention diverted away from Damian. Okay?"

"..."

Dick once again turned his eyes away from the road and gave Wally a reassuring look.

"Fine. Would just hate for you to put all this work into a party and miss it all."

Dick smiled and turned his focus on getting home.

* * *

It was easy to find Gotham: the place was huge with a thick, dark aura that was practically tangible. But while its enormous size made the city itself easy to find, it made it impossible to find anything - or anyone - inside of it. So she found herself making laps around the city, hoping to be able to sense her father amongst the humans. Blood called to blood, right?

After a few dizzying minutes it became clear that she could not sense who her father was.

(Either that or he simply wasn't in Gotham and she could _not _believe that. He had to be here. _He had to.) _

She landed in an alley, the floor thick with grime and littered with garbage and needles. She hated asking for help but she was running out of options. Surely _someone _could tell her where Nightwing was.

She began to make her way out of the alley when she was stopped by a voice. She looked to the direction it came from and found an old woman standing there. Short white hair and concerned blue eyes: she could tell the elderly women was stronger than she looked.

The woman spoke again, taking a step closer. She clenched her fists, ready to defend herself and knowing the human was no match for her. The concern on the woman's face grew.

"_ I don't understand what you're saying, _" she finally said, hoping to make the woman back off. The woman's lips thinned before she pointed at herself.

"Leslie." The woman pointed to herself again. "I'm Leslie."

"L-Leslie?" The word felt weird on her tongue. What did it mean? Was it a name?

The woman - Leslie? - nodded before gesturing to come closer. She stood there, watching as Leslie turned around and began to walk away. Leslie got to the mouth of the alley before turning back and gesturing to her again.

Everything in her screamed to fly away, to go back to searching for her father. But maybe this woman knew where he was? Why else would a stranger approach her?

With hesitance she followed Leslie.

**~O~**

Gotham was different from Blüdhaven. In Blüdhaven people kept their heads down while in Gotham eyes never stopped wandering. Everyone was tensed, pockets bulging with knives and pepper spray. The people of Blüdhaven knew how to ignore danger, Gothamites were ready to confront it.

She watched the people pass from the window of a small room. Leslie had lead her to a building, gesturing for her to sit on some type of table. She'd poked and prodded at her and just when her patient was wearing then, Leslie had backed off and gave her something. She didn't know what it was but Leslie obviously wanted her to eat it. She didn't know why but she did as instructed and ate the Earth food

It was delicious.

Now she human-watched from the window, irritation prickling underneath her skin. Leslie had given her none of the answers she craved and she was getting tired of it. Leslie had spoken a lot, too, changing the way she spoke every so often but she'd understood none of it.

Her attention was snatched as Leslie reentered the room from wherever she was. The woman was speaking again… she glared hard at her and made her demand.

"Nightwing!"

Leslie started, eyes wide. She glared harder at the woman.

"Nightwing! Richard Grayson!" She didn't know many words in the Earth's language but she did know her father's name. She didn't know how to ask where he was, though, and could just hope that Leslie would understand what she wanted.

Leslie began to speak but she shook her head. _She couldn't understand. _She reached out towards Leslie: she'd always wanted to learn the language from her father but this was getting ridiculous. She needed to understand, now.

Unfortunately, Leslie didn't get it. Leslie backed away, vaguely gesturing for her to stay, before disappearing into the back room once more. She groaned loudly, wrapping her arms around her legs and laying her head on her knees. This was taking to long!

She turned her eyes back to the window. The sun was moving across the sky too quickly, the day's end coming too soon. The dark clouds that were over Blüdhaven were now approaching Gotham, blotting out any light that might illuminate the dark city. Her dad was out there and if Leslie didn't bring him soon, she would go to him.


	4. Approaching Storms

"There's a storm coming."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Way to be ominous."

Dick and Wally spoke at the same time, sharing a look as Roy eyed the sky. The eldest man was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as the kids bound forward, racing to the door. Dick quickly snapped a picture with a phone.

Damian would probably kill him when he discovered all the secret photos taken but it would be worth it.

"I'm serious, man. This is gonna be a bad one."

"A little bit of rain is not gonna keep us from patrolling so I'm not worried." Dick slammed the limo door shut. He really should've drove it back to the garage but he was on a time limited and wanted to get to the Batcave as soon as possible.

"Dude, is everything all right?" Roy asked as he matched Dick's long strides. Dick huffed. He did not have time to go over time again.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Make sure Bruce is at the party, I'll be in the cave." Dick unlocked the door, barely letting the kids enter before racing towards the cave. He ignored Roys calls, ignored the shouts of "Surprise!"

What was the chance that this U.F.O was completely harmless and Bruce wasn't already focusing more on it than Damian's birthday?

Dick sighed and dropped his head, slumping into the Batcomputer chair.

Not very likely at all.

Sure enough one of the Batsuits were missing. Whatever this thing was must be pretty big to drag Batman into the daylight.

Dick turned on the computer, tapped into Bruce's communicator, and turned on the weightless mini tracker he had sewn into Batman's cape a long time ago.

"You better be out getting Damian a present," Dick said the moment the comm connected.

"Not now, Dick. There's a-"

"I know and I'm gonna deal with it. You're going to drag your ass home and celebrate your son's birthday."

"Dick-"

"Bruce, no. You forgot Damian's birthday last year; I'm not going to let you ignore this one. You didn't go to the zoo with us but you will be at the party, sing happy birthday around the cake, and give Damian a damn good present, kapeesh?"

There was a stubborn silence on the other end and Dick clenched his jaw. He was tired of Bruce putting the mission before them. There was a time when that wasn't the case: when he came first and Bruce was truly sorry if he had to miss something little because the world demanded it. But now Bruce kept his children 3 feet away at most times, their night jobs a clear barrier and the only bridge.

Guilt and regret pooled in Dick's stomach when he thought about it. Him and Bruce had been so close: close in a way Bruce wasn't with any of the others, close in a way they haven't been since their falling out. Maybe if they hadn't fought like they did, if Dick hadn't left like he did, Bruce wouldn't be so afraid to be that close with them again.

The gentle purr of the Batmobile traveled through the comm and the tension bled out of Dick's shoulders as the little dot marking Bruce's location moved fast across the map, approaching the Cave.

"There was something circling Gotham for the better part of an hour earlier," Batman eventually growled. Dick made a sound of acknowledgment, eyes glued to the tracker. "I tracked it through security cameras but it was too fast to get a clear image. 2 hours ago it made a nosedive into an alley and it was gone by the time I got there."

"2 hours ago and you're still out there? You know the sun is still up, right?"

"I am aware."

"Then why are you still out there? We can't track it in the daylight and, even if we could, the streets are too crowded for any confrontation. At most you might be able to track it here. Or maybe I can go upstairs and ask Clark to take a look?"

"No." The growl in Batman's voice deepened and the tracking dot finally made its way home, the Batmobile rolling into the Cave in near silence. Dick turned to face the emerging shadow, arms crossed and eyes half-lidded.

"Well…" and he broke the connection with the comm, "if you refuse to ask for help then there really isn't much to do. I'll check the security cams again and be up in a sec. Go say 'happy birthday' to your son." Bruce grunted and walked off, already yanking the cowl back.

Dick sighed, swinging back to the computer. He… he was tired. Perhaps it was the stress of planning the day, of planning something Damian would enjoy but still be considered a celebration. Maybe it was the heavy weight of worry that wouldn't go away, the dark feeling of something about to go wrong that hadn't allowed him to relax all day. Or maybe it was just the everyday fatigue of being a vigilante finally overtaking him as he let his body rest. Either way Dick was exhausted and it was taking all his strength not to curl up in the chair and sleep.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up security footage. He probably should've asked Bruce which alley the U.F.O landed in but, hey, he was an expert at doing more with less.

Suddenly an extra window popped up, obscuring Dick's view of the footage from Crime Alley. A video call was coming in from "The Doctor".

Dick froze, eyebrows furrowed. It didn't take a detective to know who was calling: there was only one doctor they associated with. But why would Leslie be calling through the Batcomputer? Usually, she just showed up or called Alfred.

As he opened the line, Dick was vaguely aware of a freshly showered and nicely dressed Bruce hovering behind him. The computer chair sagged as Bruce leaned against it but Dick didn't have time to kick him out before Leslie's pinched face filled the screen.

"Dr. Tompkins, what can I do for you?" Bruce asked the moment the line was confirmed secure. Dick drummed his fingers irritably. He didn't know if it was the use of "I" instead of "we" or the fact that Bruce was still here, but something about the sentence aggravated him.

"I'm glad I caught you two," Leslie replied, shoulders back and lips pinched. Her pale blue eyes glinted with something that made Dick tense. Dick was grateful when Leslie got to the point without prompting. "I was checking in on the streets kids around my clinic when I came across one I've never seen before. As always, I brought her inside and gave her a standard check-up. It was hard: she spoke none of the languages I knew but she was very cooperative overall."

"Any signs of abuse?"

"None but I suspect any signs would quickly disappear. I checked her blood and it - she - is not from this Earth." And just like that Dick, Bruce, and all thoughts of the party going on upstairs disappeared, quickly replaced by Nightwing, Batman, and an intense focus on the information they've received. Nightwing turned to Batman, a brow raised.

"I think our U.F.O has been found." Batman grunted in reply, reaching over Nightwing to take control of the keyboard. He closed the multitude of security cam feeds, only leaving the ones surrounding Leslie's clinic, and got to work.

"That's not all," Leslie continued. "Whoever she is, she somehow knows Dick's identity."

"What?" Batman barked, head jerking up to meet Leslie's gaze before Nightwing could even comprehend what was said.

"I may not have understood what she was saying but I did recognize the words 'Nightwing' and 'Richard Grayson'. She spoke frantically."

"Do you have any idea of where she might be from?"

"No, but I'll send over the bloodwork. I'll bring her over a.s.a.p."

"No." Nightwing stated firmly, brain finally caught up. "D-don't do that. We'll come to you."

Leslie leaned away from her camera, looking at something off-screen. "I'm not sure that's possible. I doubt I'll be able to keep her here for much longer." As if on cue a pounding came from Leslie's side of the call, the old woman nearly jumping in surprise. The pounding was quickly followed by angry yelling, the words a familiar type of foreign…

"Tamaranian," Nightwing stated, fingers twitching with nerves. "She's speaking Tamaranian."

"Can you understand what she's saying?" Batman asked as he stepped back, arms crossed over his chest. Nightwing closed his eyes, summoning the basic understanding he had of the language - he had learned a bit of it from and for Starfire before they split all those years ago - but the ravings were too muffled. He shook his head.

"No, but… she's not a threat. If she's from Tamaran and knows my name then she must have some connection to Kory, right?" Dick looked around, eyes flickering from Leslie's image to Bruce's face. There was something glittering in those blue irises, something young and heartbreaking that was neither Dick Grayson nor Nightwing. Bruce's chest tightened because that look was purely Robin: young and vulnerable and so hopeful. He didn't understand it: didn't they break up on good terms? Wasn't it Dick who lost interest in Starfire?

"We don't know that. She might be in connection with Blackfire," Batman said, and almost regretted it when that look slipped away, the Nightwing mask firmly back in place.

"Yes, of course…" His brows furrowed and his fingers drummed against his thighs. "How old is she?"

"Not sure. She's small so I'll guess around eight or so."

"Hmm, an eight-year-old alien who may or may not have control over their powers, who may or may not want to hurt us. What do you think of those odds, B?"

"We've worked with worse."

"And Superman is right upstairs!" Nightwing ignored the disapproving grunt and turned to Leslie. "Alright, Les. Bring her over."


	5. Stealing Thunder

Damian Wayne was… not angry. He wasn't sad either, or even upset. He was actually pretty… satisfied? Was that the word?

His friends surrounded him, a clash of personalities that melded together so perfectly. Colin, Jon, and Irey shouted over each other as they told slightly different versions of the same story; Maya spoke calmly in his ear of weapons and her latest fight; and Lian hopped between them, a good balance of the two, adding her two cents to both conversations. Damian listened to the cacophony of noise that somehow seemed to dominate the whole manor despite the bugger party going on around them. His chest was warm and his muscles relaxed.

Happy? Was that the word?

Was it possible to be happy without being content?

Damian pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down on the soft inner flesh. Or was he content but not happy? He really didn't know, and Richard wasn't here to tell him - and that was part of the problem. Richard wasn't here.

Damian wasn't an idiot: of course he noticed that something was off with his ex-mentor. Sometime between the zoo and the manor, Richard had become irritated. After spending the whole day smiling and nagging, it was alarming to watch the man burst into the house like his pants were on fire. Damian hadn't even notice the party decorations at first, too busy watching Richard bound up the grand staircase, two steps at a time, and disappear in the direction of Father's office. That plus the talk of an alien invasion in the limo? There was no doubt in Damian's mind that Richard - a most likely Father as well - had abandoned him for the Batcave.

Well, Damian thought as he stood up, it was his birthday and Richard had said he could do whatever he wished for the occasion. And if fighting aliens was on the agenda, then there was no way he was letting Father and Richard do it without him.

"I'll be right back," Damian said to his friends, ignoring the confused looks as he headed towards the staircase. It wasn't a lie, either. It would only take a few words and a quick "you said I could do whatever I wanted" to convince Richard to take him with them. That is, if Richard wasn't already planning to come get him. Then, Richard would convince Father if Father needed convincing, and Damian would return to his friends to alert them to the change of plans and send everyone home.

Or maybe they could come with, a voice in Damian's head suggested but the boy quickly shook it off. He had never worked with all five of his friends at once and an alien invasion would not be the proper time to figure out new team dynamics.

When Damian got to the Batcave, he was surprised to find not two, but four people occupying the space. He paused on the staircase and ducked down, peering down to at the meeting below while remaining out of sight himself. Father and Richard were there, as expected. Both were in casual wear, which confused Damian. Why were they not already suited?

The other person Damian recognized was Dr. Thompkins and that caused his confusion to grow. Surely there had not been an injury? Not in the 20 minutes since they've arrived, before anyone had left the premises? Perhaps the doctor was here to join the festivities? It seemed unlikely but not impossible. It would actually be quite nice if she could engage Pennyworth in conversation and make the overworked man relax for an hour or so.

The fourth and final person was a complete stranger. A little girl stood next to Dr. Thompkins, not quite hiding behind the woman but not front and center either. From his vantage point, Damian could only make out the color of her skin - a brownish-gold that reminded Damian somewhat of caramel -and hair - thick wavy black locks that fell to her knees. She seemed unbearably tiny surrounded by the 3 adults, and twitched ever so slightly occasionally. She was prepared to run.

Damian prepared to run after her.

It would only take a single leap, using the wall and gigantic mementos that decorated the cave as buffers and springboards to keep himself from splatting on the ground below. One leap and he would be down there and prepared to capture the juvenile delinquent.

(And of course that's what she was. Why else would she be hauled into the Batcave and preparing to run?)

(But then again, she was awfully young to be a delinquent. And why were Father and Richard not dressed as Batman and Nightwing? They would never let some delinquent see their true face! What was going on?)

"Have you made physical contact yet? Skin-to-skin?" Richard was asking, snapping Damian back to attention.

"I don't believe so. I was wearing gloves for the examination, as protocol demands. She wouldn't let me near her otherwise. Why do you ask?"

"Tamaraneans," Richard started, unknowingly sending a shock of surprise down Damian's spine, "can learn language through touch. It was how Kory and I met: she had kissed me to learn English. She later admitted it didn't have to be a kiss and that any skin-to-skin for a suitable amount of time would do. While I'm not quite sure what's the best way to go about that, it would be much easier if we could communicate with her."

So she's the alien! Damian thought. His mind still reeled with questions - how had Dr. Thompkins managed to capture her? What were her intentions here? Why were Father and Richard not in costume? - but at least that was answered. Now her presence in the cave made a bit more sense.

"Agreed," Father said, followed by an awkward pause where no one moved. Then, Richard sighed and pulled off his gloves. He took a step forward and the girl took a step back. Another pause. Richard tried again. Step forward, step back. He tried a third time.

No progress was made.

Dick kneeled down until he was eye-to-eye with the alien, not moving forward an inch, yet the girl still shuffled back. Perhaps she wasn't that much of a threat, Damian thought. Nothing so timid could be threatening. That was one fact Mother made sure he knew. But then the girl straightened her back, jutting her chin forward, and Damian found himself with second thoughts. False bravado? Had to be.

"I'm Nightwing," Richard said slowly and clearly, hand over his heart as if he was making a vow. Damian wanted to shake the man. Perhaps the alien child did not understand the significance of the Batcave and what it meant for the two men in front of her to have access to it. Maybe she did not make the connection to Batman and Nightwing and the two in front of her. But any chance she did not know who they were was thrown away with those two words.

Did secret identities mean anything anymore!?

Damian crept down a few more stairs. It would affect the efficiency of his leap but that would only be needed if the alien made a break for the far exit. It would be more efficient to jump the rest of the stairs if were she to attack Richard, Father, or Dr. Thompkins as he would land closer to them.

"Nightwing?" the alien asked, freezing Damian in his spot. The word sounded warbled and weird on her tongue, but there was no denying the awe and - wait, was that hope? -on her tongue. Richard nodded and before Damian could even think to move a muscle, the alien threw herself into Richard's arms.

The yelp of shock Richard gave masked Damian's own yelp of indignation. Less than two seconds later his feet hit the ground of the cave, not as silently as they could've, and he was racing towards his brother.

* * *

It felt like a fading dream. Everything was so vivid - the warmth of his body, the strength of the arms wrapped around her frame - but there was a tickle at the edge of her mind, the unbelieving sense that none of this was real and would disappear the moment she opened her eyes.

So she didn't open her eyes.

She relished in the fact that she was here, finally in her father's arms at long last. Squeezed him tighter and turned her head, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. She ignored the surprised gasp, taking in the rush of letters and grammar rules that filled her brain at the touch. Her tongue buzzed with new vocabulary, words desperate to escape her mouth. So many things she could understand, so many things she could finally say to the man she'd been searching all day for.

She didn't get the say anything.

The words were ready. She knew exactly what she wanted to say to the man she never met before. But before anything could come out she was knocked to the side. Her body hit the ground, breath escaping her lungs for a quick second. Shouts of alarm filled the air, and when she looked up she saw her place in her father's arms had been taken.

Now, there was a boy there. Her father clung to him tightly, restraining him as the boy tried to advance on her. His lips were twisted into a scowl, his eyes seemed to flash between blue and green like strobe lights. (And yes, she knew what those were now. Perhaps she didn't know how they all connected but clear images accompanied every new word). She didn't know who he was but he was in her place. That simply would not do.

She jumped to her feet, her whole body warming as purple energy emitted from her hands swallowed her fists. More exclaims of surprise filled the room, and her body flooded with anger as her father - her father - pushed the boy behind him and fell into a protective stance.

Protective of him.

Protecting from her.

It wasn't right. Absolutely nothing about this picture was right.

But before she could fix it, before she could blast the boy into oblivion and take back her rightful place, her powers were gone. They blinked out like a dead light bulb, one second there and then the next, nothing. She looked down at her hands in confusion and took note of the metal bracelets that gleams around her wrist like shackles. When had those gotten there?

"Purple bolts. Just like Blackfire," said the man who had greeted her alongside her father. He stood right behind her, a menacing figure wrapped in shadows. Shame swam in her belly. She hadn't even noticed him move, an error that could've killed her if this was battle. Instead, it had resulted in her losing her powers.

"Damian go back up stairs," her father said to the boy, his defensive stance holding strong

"Absolutely not. Who is this alien?" the boy - Damian - demanded. The snotty tone alone was enough to stir up a desire to harm in her stomach, but when she tried to summon her powers the bracelets grew hotter and hotter. Not even a spark graced her fingertips.

"We don't know yet-"

"Then I shall help you find out," Damian said, sticking his nose in the air as he cut of her father. Her father sighed.

"I am sure that is unnecessary. Go and enjoy the party, I promise we have everything under control here."

"You obviously do not! You did not even try to stop her from attacking you-"

"I did not attack him!"

All eyes turned to her. Even Leslie, who had been watching with a calculating interest, snapped to higher attention.

"So she can speak now?" Damian said, earning himself a snarl.

"I could always speak, dumbass," she growled, taking notice of the way her father reeled back. Was dumbass not the right word? It certainly fit right. "I simply needed my father's extensive knowledge of the English language."

"Your father?" This time it was the other man that spoke, eyes narrowed.

"Yes. Richard Grayson." She pointed at him as she said so, a huge smile stretching across her face. She couldn't help it. Her father was right there.

"Richard is not your father!" Damian bellowed, wiping away her smile as quick as it had come. The man in question said nothing, his face drained of color and eyes wide as he stared without seeing.

"He is to!"

"Impossible!" Damian pushed past her father, who seemed to be too stunned to even move. "Do you think we are idiots? You are far too old to be Richard's offspring!"

"I am almost 10!"

"My point exactly. For you to be Richard's heir, then he would've had to father you at 16 or 17 years of age. Richard may be a fool but I cannot imagine him so reckless. Isn't that right, Richard?"

"Uh…"

"My father is not a fool! He is the second greatest detective of all time! My mom told me so!"

"Silence! I will not let you sully Richard's name!

Damian charged at her - one feet, two feet closer - and she prepared herself for a fight. She did not need her powers to defeat him, that she was sure of. But before he could reach her, he was back in her father's arms. Snapped out of his stupor, her father held on tight, muscles in his arms bulging with strain. The other man swept in front of her, a solid wall between her and the boy. His face was a mask of suspicion and anger and staring at it, it was hard not to make the connection between him and Damian.

"Enough," he growled, not yelling but capturing everyone's attention anyway. "Who are you?"

The question seemed so banal and vapid in the face of everything. Had she not already answered that question? She was Richard Grayson's daughter, what else did they want from her?

"I am Mar'iand'r Grayson, Princess of Tamaran, daughter of Queen Koriand'r of Tamaran and Richard Grayson of Earth," she said slowly, glaring directly into the man's eyes. This entire affair was becoming tiresome and she did not wish to repeat herself. "I have been sent to Earth because Mom deems Tamaran too unsafe at the moment. I've spent the entire day searching high and low for my father. I am very happy to have found him, and I would appreciate it greatly if you would move aside so I can speak to him."

Mar'i was shaking as silence descended over the cave like a heavy quilt. She didn't even know what to say to the man, but she would never get the chance to find out if they didn't stand aside and let her face him.

Nobody moved. The man towered over her, his gaze burning into her skin. He was analyzing her, seeing right through her defenses and dissecting every part of her soul. The look made her back straighten involuntarily, chest puffed out and face stony. Behind him Damian seethed, wiggling this way and that in her father's arms. Mar'i wished she could see his face but his arms around Damian was the only part visible to her. She'd like to imagine that her father was smiling, just as desperate to speak to her as she was to speak to him, but the concerned look on Leslie's face said otherwise. The doctor was looking in her father's direction like she was already creating a list of therapists.

"Please?"

It was her last resort and maybe that was a mistake. Her mom had always promoted manners and politeness. The man grunted and finally stepped aside, revealing her father to her once more, shocked face and all. A smile wormed its way onto Mar'i's face once more.

Finally.


End file.
